Sad Mithrax Crab.

[spline9]

My emerald mithrax is acting strange.
Normally these guys are quite spunky. Sticking up their claws in defence n stuff, scurrying away when big things come by...
Well, this one dude isnt being like himself.
He doenst respond to anything near him. I prodded him with my cleaning-sponge-stick-thing and he barely reacted. Its almost like hes become blind. He just sits there almost motionless. Him and his buddys (2 other mithrax) are getting white spots on their exoskeletons. At first I was thinking that they were getting ready to molt. Now, with this strange behavior, I'm not so sure.
Right now hes insisting on chilling on the tiny rock I got from the LFS that has a few mushrooms on it. A week ago somebody was pickin at a mushroom, I figured it was one of them crabs but it stopped so I didnt worry too much about it. Now I'm worried again.
Anybody have any idea whats up with this guy?

 

[spline9]

Ok, its been several hours (5-6) now. He hasnt moved. I dont see him moving his mouth parts but hes not facing the front so I cant really tell.
I prodded him with the sponge-stick-thing again and this time there was absolutely no response. I'm hoping he just molted and left that there to mess with me. Dont think so, though.
:notsure:

 

[ka0z4allu]

could have molted. When mine molts, it looks just like him, and I think he is dead because he doesn't move. And while his shell is hardening they become real good hiders.

 

[ka0z4allu]

take it out and see if it is a hollow shell

 

[spline9]

Oh, its definately not hollow.
He kicked the bucket. Not sure why.
Makes me kinda wonder because I lost a conch a week ago for unknown reasons. Just found all his buddies munchin on him one day. I took him out and tried to shake the slime off him in the sink and he just plopped out into the drain.

The other crabs appear ok so far. Gotta keep an eye on them now.

 

[ka0z4allu]

I'm sorry to hear that. If your water parameters are ok then I guess there is really no telling what happened to him. How long have you had him?

 

[spline9]

Had em for about 2 months I think. There are 2 more in the tank. They appear to be doing ok but they too have some of that white stuff going on. It doesnt look like its a growth but more like the color of his exoskeleton changing.
Maybe it has something to do with molting, or not being able to. Since I've had them, I havent seen them molt yet so maybe he needed to. I was thinking of adding iodine but I dont want to before I get a test kit. *shrug*

 

[ka0z4allu]

My emerald crab has those white spots to. Before and after molting. I dont have a test for iodine, but I still add a combo vit with calcium, strotinum, and iodine twice a week. I do however get my water checked every couple of weeks at my LFS. They run tests on it and tell me how my water quality is.

 

[salty cheese]

Do they have enough to eat? I have only one in my 46 gal and i had to buy some dried seaweed to suppliment its diet because of the lack of algea in my tank. You had three in a 30 gal so it makes me wonder if they had enough to eat.
Just a thought.

 

[spline9]

Yeah, I've been trying to supplement their diet with some seaweed and bits of fleshy stuff (krill). You could be right, though. I tried to feed them by hand but only rarely did they take anything so I kinda stopped going out of my way to make sure they ate. I figured they werent hungry. :notsure:

 

[salty cheese]

I use that seaweed select stuff and attach it to a small rock with a rubber band, drop it in the tank and the crabs do the rest.

 

[sov82]

My big Emerald killed one of my smaller ones when the little one entered "his house"

 

[spline9]

Yeah, I have some of that seaweed stuff. I got it mainly for my sandsifting star but everybody seems to like it. I just hand fed them that stuff, though. I'll leave some out for them to graze on, see if that makes them happier.
I never saw a territory problem with my crabs. They all entered the tank at the same time and only one is a little bit smaller than the others. Well now theres just 2, a male and a female. Hopefully they will do better than the other guy.